Is Your Story Believable?-It’s All In The Details

May 16, 2017 Writing your first novel-Some things you should knowLeave a comment

untitled Writing fiction can be fun. You get to create your own world with your own characters and you can take your story anywhere you want to go. Right?

Well that statement is true to a certain degree. You do have a lot of leeway, but keep in mind, your story has to make sense. It has to be believable to your readers. That’s were research comes in. Your plot may be fictitious but your details had better be correct.

Anachronisms-details out of place and time-can break a readers suspension of disbelief if they notice the error. If for example, a character in ancient Egypt consults his watch, a reader would instantly be drawn out of the story and roll his eyes. This is an extreme example, but I think it helps you get the point.

There’s no excuse for anachronisms or lack of detail. Once you know what you are writing about, immerse yourself in the subject. If you want to write about police, you do a ride along or shadow a precinct. If your novel takes place in a school, interview teachers or volunteer.

You can also use social media to learn about people and places, by watching videos or listening to interviews. My novel is set primarily in the Carolinas but my main character is deployed to Afghanistan for a short period of time. I’ve never been to Afghanistan and have no intention of ever going there. For that short but important segment of my book, I watched a documentary and actual footage. I also read pages set up on the internet by marines returning from the area that described what it was like for them. I found the information I needed to make that portion of my story believable through research on-line.

It is always best to set your novels in cities that you know. A good example of this would be Nicholas Sparks. Most of his novels are set in North Carolina. That’s where he lives. He understands the culture and can provide the details his readers expect.

One word of caution is to remember your research and detail are the seasoning for the story, don’t make them center stage. Resist the urge to show off how much research you have done. You don’t want to overwhelm your readers with unnecessary information.

-Jan R

The Title Of Your Book Is What?!!!

May 11, 2017 Writing your first novel-Some things you should knowHow do i write a title, naming your book, What will I title my book?, Writing tips6 Comments

imagesFFT3CQY4 I was looking at some of my older blog posts this past week, when something jumped out at me.

Nine months ago I wrote a blog titled, “Is your manuscript ready for submission?” It didn’t get much attention, as a matter of fact only 5 people viewed the blog and 2 of those liked it. Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed. It was a great blog.

Five months later I was busy and didn’t have time to research and write a quality blog. I decided to repost, “Is your manuscript ready for submission?” I made a few changes to some of the sentences, so they reflected the new time period, but other than that, the blog read word for word.

I also did one other thing; I changed the title. It was the same blog, only it’s new title was, “Edit, Edit or Edit?” The blog did exceptionally well for someone who has been blogging less than a year. It had 99 views, 50 likes and 3 or 4 reblogs.

I shared this story to make a point. Your title really does make a difference. It’s the first thing your reader sees or hears about your book/blog/poem. Your title creates anticipation and expectation, or, perhaps disinterest. Often your title determines whether or not someone reads your work.

A good title should have the following attributes:

Attention grabbing
Memorable
Informative (gives idea of what book is about)
Easy to say
Not embarrassing or problematic for a person to say aloud to their friends.

Also keep in mind, that the title you start with, may not be the title you end up with. Getting the title right, may be the most important book marketing decision you make. Many well known authors have had their titles changed by publishers and editors before print. Here are a few you may recognize:

F. Scott Fitzgerald/ The Great Gatsby — Trimalchio in West Egg, On the Road to West Egg, Among Ash-heaps and Millionaires, Under the Red, White, and Blue, Gold-hatted Gatsby, or The High Bouncing Lover. I think he made the right choice 🙂

George Orwell/ 1984 — The Last Man in Europe

Ayn Rand/ Atlas Shrugged –The Strike

Harper Lee/ To Kill a Mockingbird — Atticus

Jane Austin/ Pride and Prejudice — First Impressions.

Frances Hodgson Burnett/ The Secret Garden — Mistress Mary

The title matters!!! Get it right!!!

-Jan R

Rest If You Must, But Don’t You Quit!

May 9, 2017 Writing your first novel-Some things you should knowDon't give up, Encouragement, Keep writing even when you feel like a failure, Never quit, Writing tips1 Comment

youtubeheader I have a plaque that sat on my desk for years when I worked for the state. A friend gave it to me for encouragement on those days when I felt like I wasn’t making a difference and wanted to quit. The author of the poem is unknown, but it’s words transcend time. It doesn’t matter where you are or what you’re doing, take heart and don’t quit.

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest if you must but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twist and turns,

As everyone of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When you might have won if you stuck it out.

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow—

You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out—

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far.

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit—

It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

Hope this encouraged you to refocus and keep moving forward.

-Jan R

POV-Common Mistakes

May 4, 2017May 4, 2017 Writing your first novel-Some things you should knowcorrecting POV issues, How do I correct POV issues, How do I fix my POV, Point of View, What is POV?18 Comments

0e3e1fc513972cdcccbdac6802ebb6ac Think of your POV character as your camera. He/She walks through the story giving you a personal glimpse of what’s happening. If your POV character can’t see it, you can’t describe it for your readers. If he can’t hear it, you can’t let your readers hear it. If your POV character doesn’t know it, you can’t tell it. You are bound to your POV character.

Character can’t see it

Suzy stood staring straight ahead. Her ex stood behind her, his arms crossed over his chest, his blue eyes scowling.

Problem Unless she has a mirror in front of her, she can’t see her ex standing behind her. She wouldn’t know his arms were crossed and he was scowling.
Fix Use other senses. She can smell him, she can hear him, and she can imagine what he is doing.

Character can’t hear it

Suzy walked down the dark hall. Several floors down, another set of footsteps echoed in the darkness. Suzy had no idea she was being followed.

Problem For the purpose of this example, we’re assuming she can’t hear two floors down. If she can’t hear it, she can’t describe it. Moreover, if she didn’t suspect it, who is telling the reader this information? It’s not Suzy.
Fix Set the mood that hints at what you want the reader to fear. You can also have your character imagine the worst.

Character doesn’t know that

Suzy’s ex stood behind the door with a gun, waiting for her to enter. As she approached, she had no idea what was waiting on the other side.

Problem To be a true third person, you can’t write what your POV doesn’t know. The POV police refer to this as omniscient voice or author voice.
Fix Your POV can suspect, sense something isn’t right, have a funny feeling, or if her ex is heavy handed with the Old Spice, she may smell him. I think you get the picture.

Other omniscient or author slips

Suzy got out of her car and headed for the gym. She never realized she had left her keys in the ignition.
Suzy accepted the date. She wouldn’t find out for several months that it was the worst decision she would ever make.
Suzy walked by the window and never noticed that someone had left it opened.

I am guilty of committing all of these POV sins. I hope this post helps you as much as it helped me.

-Jan R

Eavesdropping 101

May 2, 2017 Writing your first novel-Some things you should knowHow do I learn to write dialogue, How do I write dialogue, Writing Dialogue, Writing tips3 Comments

6359627662701758141159765676_6359627662640862281199997867_55150-coffee_shop I read an article today on the importance of eavesdropping. It reminded me of an online workshop I viewed several years ago.

At the time an agent had responded to a submission I made. One of her concerns was with my dialogue. It was dragging and not moving the story forward.

She was right of course. It was dragging, and doing a lot of other things that I will share in an upcoming blog, but for now I will focus on the importance of eavesdropping.

To write good dialogue, you have to understand the art of conversation. What better way to research and sharpen your skills, than to eavesdrop on conversations going on around you.

Some of the best places to eavesdrop are in restaurants and coffee shops. Take a pencil and pen, or computer, and be prepared to take notes.

The number one rule to eavesdropping, as you may guess, is to be inconspicuous. You may not want to sneak a peak of the conversationalists until after you’ve listened for a while.

Eavesdropping can provide inspiration for your character’s dialogue. Below is a list of things to pay attention to while eavesdropping.

Notice difference in speech patterns
Word repetitions
Voice inflection
Word choices
Differences in male and female conversation
Words that reflect mood
The lack of sentence structure, poor grammar, such as incomplete sentences

You can tell a lot about a person just by listening to how they talk. Are they educated? What part of the country do they come from? Are they depressed, manic, a busy body, positive, negative, happy, sad, rich, poor, . . .?

Keep in mind that dialogue isn’t conversation, but you could say that conversation is the rough draft of dialogue. Conversation includes ‘uhs’ and ‘you knows’, as you gather and consider your words. Dialogue is direct, to the point, and punchy.

-Jan R

Things to Keep in Mind When You’re Writing That Cover Letter

April 27, 2017 Writing your first novel-Some things you should knowGet your novel published, How do I write a cover letter, Publishing, things to keep in mind when writing your novel, writing advice, Writing tips4 Comments

cover-letter-impressive-resumes I’m quickly approaching the point in the writing process, where I need to start looking at submission requirements for the agents/publishers I would like to contact with a proposal.

Agents and publishers have different requirements. It’s very important that you find out what those requirements are and follow them to the letter. Failure to do so could land your proposal in the rejection pile without being reviewed. It doesn’t matter how great you think your novel is. They will never know.

The first step to most proposals is the cover letter. It should be no longer than one page. Not one and a bit, and not one in an uncomfortably small font. You may have a lot to say, but at this point, remember to keep it concise. Just because your plot is complex, doesn’t mean your letter needs to be.

The main aim of your cover letter is to give the agent/publisher more details about your manuscript and you, the author. Things like

manuscript title
genre
word count
manuscript blurb
market placement
target audience
author background
contact information (don’t forget this one)

Remember to follow the submission guidelines and tailor your letter to the requirements specified. For example, some ask you to say how you heard about them, and whether you have sent your work to other agents.

In every case, it is very important to address your letter to someone, rather than to a generic ‘To whom it may concern.’ Consider your cover letter an introduction to you and your work.

Also keep in mind that your cover letter, is the first impression any agent/publisher will have of your writing abilities. Therefore it should be straightforward and concise. Treat your cover letter as a business letter-after all that is what it is.

Lots of information and great examples of winning cover letters on the internet. I would recommend that you read a few, or maybe a lot-especially if this is your first attempt 🙂

-Jan Rouse

How Do I Write A Perfect Opening Line?

April 25, 2017 Writing your first novel-Some things you should know7 Comments

first-lines So how do I write the perfect opening line? I know it has to be great. I know it has to grab the reader and pique their interest from the get go, but I haven’t been able to locate a magic formula.

To be honest, I don’t think there is one. What I’ve observed, is great opening lines come in all shapes and sizes, but they all have one thing in common. They get your attention or leave you wanting to know more.

Strategies for writing the perfect opening line:

Get an emotional response from your reader. Use strong words that elicit surprise, laughter, anger, shock….

“They say when trouble comes close ranks, and so the white people did.” Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea
“It was the day my grandmother exploded.” Iain Banks, The Crow Road

Leave the reader wanting to know more…

I have lived more than a thousand years. Ann Bashares, My Name is Memory
It was a bright day in April and the clocks were striking thirteen. George Orwell, 1984
Every summer Lin Kong returned to Goose Village to divorce his wife Shuyu. Ha Jin, Waiting“
They shoot the white girls first.” Toni Morrison, Paradise

Establish a unique voice….

If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parent’s were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

Use the first sentence to tell us about the story….

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. Jane Austin, Pride and Prejudice
As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous vermin. Kafka, The Metamorphosis

Use a philosophical truth….

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities.
No comet blazed when I was born. Denis Healy, The Time of My Life

A dramatic statement….

You better never not tell nobody but God. Alice Walker, The Color Purple
Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita

The next time you read a good book, check out the opening line. What makes it great? What about it caught your attention and made you want to read on? What was the strategy the author used to hook you?

-Jan R

How’s That Elevator Speech Coming?

April 20, 2017 Writing your first novel-Some things you should knowAre you ready to talk?, Do i need an elevator speech?, How do I write an elevator speech?, Writing an elevator speech?Leave a comment

63db621ddaa09ed3a5c852aae3758e7f722f_l I first wrote this article about 7 months ago. I attended a conference with my husband and found myself in an embarrassing and somewhat frustrating situation. I like to share information that I hope will help others, and prevent them from making some of the mistakes that I have. What was my mistake? I wasn’t prepared. The thought never crossed my mind that I would be expected to share what I was writing. I knew I would at some point, but the book wasn’t even ready to submit.

Attending the conference was a great get away for me, and a chance to focus on my novel without the distractions of home. Needless to say, I was enjoying myself and making some significant progress.

My husband and I were invited to join some of his peers for supper the evening before we were scheduled to leave. I sat quietly, surrounded by men talking shop. I figured all I had to do was smile and display exemplary dining skills-boy was I wrong.

About half way through the meal, one of the men looked over at me and said, “Your husband told us what you do during the day while he is at the conference. We would love to hear a little more about your book. What’s it about?”

Well, I froze, my mind went totally blank, and it was all I could do to control my suddenly out of whack emotions, as I turned to face this man who had the audacity to ask me such a question.

I wasn’t prepared. I didn’t have an Elevator Speech. I didn’t think I needed one. I felt foolish and was caught totally off guard. You never know when you’ll come across someone who’ll ask you what your book is about. I’ll be prepared the next time.

Some things to keep in mind :

Remember when you are crafting your speech, you are talking to another human being.
You only have 30-60 seconds. Don’t try to tell them the entire story.
Content is as important as delivery. It doesn’t matter if it’s well delivered if it’s boring and uninspiring. Make them want to hear more!
If you are attending a conference, you don’t want to accost agents/editors-wait for an invite or an appropriate opening. They know why you are there. Introduce yourself. Engage in small talk, they will usually ask.
Practice, practice, practice. You don’t want to memorize every word and sound like a robot or like you’re reading a teleprompter, but you do want your Elevator Speech to flow and be cohesive. You want it to sound natural.
Always be prepared and show passion.

If you haven’t prepared your speech, you need to start working on it. It’s just a matter of time. Somebody is going to ask.

-Jan R

Don’t Give Up!!!

April 18, 2017 Writing your first novel-Some things you should knowDon't give up-keep writing, Motivate yourself to write, Never quit, Writing tipsLeave a comment

34aaed633d9b47ae116fef8987ff47b6--fitnessmotivation-never-give-up I love this quote. It applies to all aspects of life. I am an aspiring author, and remind myself often that the key to success is to not give up.

Since my adventure began over five years ago, I have read numerous stories from well known authors about their journey to becoming published. I put so much time and effort into my craft, I couldn’t help but feel discouraged and wonder what I was doing wrong. It encouraged me to know that I was not alone but in great company.

The one common theme in all of their stories was perseverance. The agent that worked with me on my book, always ended her critiques with don’t give up.

If you have a high quality, marketable piece of work, persevere, and you will eventually find an agent and get published.

Kathryn Stockett wrote The Help over a five year period of time, then had three and a half years worth of rejections. 60 in all. It was agent 61 who took her on. The book spent 100 weeks on the best seller list. Not sure if you are familiar with her novel, but you probably have heard of the movie based on this book. Now I would call that perseverance.

Other notable Authors who suffered rejection but persevered:

Richard Adam’s Watership Down- 17 rejections
Frank Herbert’s Dune – 20+ rejections
JK Rowlings’ Harry Potter – 12+ rejections
Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook- 24 rejections.

ee09f5759b0ea96ba6e01b6f41b29667 I hope you are getting the picture. You can’t give up on your dreams. Revise, edit, do what you have to do to make your story great, but don’t give up.

Hope this offered a little encouragement. I know how disheartening it can be to send your baby out and have it rejected. Don’t take it personal and don’t quit.

-Jan R

195 Powerful Verbs That’ll Spice Up Your Writing

April 13, 2017 Writing your first novel-Some things you should knowEditing, grammar, How to use verbs, Writing powerful sentences, Writing strong sentences, Writing tips10 Comments

I wish I could take credit for this blog but it was written by Jerry Jenkins. He is probably my favorite blogger and one of my favorite authors. You can find him at jerryjenkins.com

He did give permission to share this blog with any writer who needed to read it. He wanted to get the word out. So I thought about you, my followers.

Do you ever wonder why a grammatically correct sentence you’ve written just lies there like a dead fish?

I sure have.

Your sentence might even be full of those adjectives and adverbs your teachers and loved ones so admired in your writing when you were a kid.

But still the sentence doesn’t work.

Something simple I learned from The Elements of Style years ago changed the way I write and added verve to my prose. The authors of that little bible of style said: “Write with nouns and verbs, not with adjectives and adverbs.”

Even Mark Twain was quoted, regarding adjectives: “When in doubt, strike it out.”

That’s not to say there’s no place for adjectives. I used three in the title and first paragraph of this post alone.

The point is that good writing is more about well-chosen nouns and powerful verbs than it is about adjectives and adverbs, regardless of what you were told as a kid.

There’s no quicker win for you and your manuscript than ferreting out and eliminating flabby verbs and replacing them with vibrant ones.

How To Know Which Verbs Need Replacing

Your first hint is your own discomfort with a sentence. Odds are it features a snooze-inducing verb.

As you hone your ferocious self-editing skills, train yourself to exploit opportunities to replace a weak verb for a strong one.

At the end of this post I suggest a list of 195 powerful verbs you can experiment with to replace tired ones.

What constitutes a tired verb? Here’s what to look for:

3 Types of Verbs to Beware of in Your Prose

1. State-of-being verbs

These are passive as opposed to powerful:

Is
Am
Are
Was
Were
Be
Being
Been
Have
Has
Had
Do

Does
Did
Shall
Will
Should
Would
May
Might
Must
Can
Could

Am I saying these should never appear in your writing? Of course not. You’ll find them in this piece. But when a sentence lies limp, you can bet it contains at least one of these. Determining when a state-of-being verb ~~is the culprit~~ creates a problem—and finding a better, more powerful verb to replace it—~~is what~~ makes us writers. [Note how I replaced the state-of-being verbs in this paragraph.]

Resist the urge to consult a thesaurus for the most exotic verb you can find. I consult such references only for the normal word that carries power but refuses to come to mind.

I ~~would~~ suggest even that you consult my list of powerful verbs only after you have exhausted all efforts to come up with one on your own. ~~You want~~ Make your prose ~~any~~ your own creation, not yours plus Roget or Webster or Jenkins. [See how easy they are to spot and fix?]

Examples

Impotent: The man was walking on the platform.

Powerful: The man strode along the platform.

Impotent: Jim is a lover of country living.

Powerful: Jim treasures country living.

Impotent: There are three things that make me feel the way I do…

Powerful: Three things convince me…

2. Verbs that rely on adverbs

Powerful verbs are strong enough to stand alone.

Examples

The fox ~~ran quickly~~ dashed through the forest.

She ~~menacingly looked~~ glared at her rival.

He ~~secretly listened~~ eavesdropped while they discussed their plans.

3. Verbs with -ing suffixes

Examples

Before: He was walking…

After: He walked…

Before: She was loving the idea of…

After: She loved the idea of…

Before: The family was starting to gather…

After: The family started to gather…

The List of 195 Powerful Verbs

Advance
Advise
Alter
Amend
Amplify
Attack
Balloon
Bash
Batter
Beam
Beef
Blab
Blast
Bolt
Boost
Brief
Burst
Bus
Bust
Capture
Catch
Charge
Chap
Chip
Clasp
Climb
Clutch
Collide
Command
Crackle
Crash
Crush
Dash
Demolish
Depart
Deposit
Detect
Deviate
Devour
Direct
Discern
Discover
Drain
Drip
Drop
Eavesdrop
Engulf
Enlarge
Ensnare
Erase
Escort
Expand
Explode
Explore
Expose
Extend
Extract
Eyeball
Fish
Frown
Gaze
Glare
Glisten
Glitter
Gobble

Govern
Grasp
Grip
Groan
Growl
Guide
Hail
Heighten
Hurry
Ignite
Illuminate
Inspect
Instruct
Intensify
Intertwine
Impart
Journey
Lash
Lead
Leap
Locate
Magnify
Moan
Modify
Multiply
Mushroom
Mystify
Notice
Notify
Obtain
Oppress
Order
Paint
Park
Peck
Peek
Peer
Perceive
Picture
Pilot
Pinpoint
Place
Plant
Plop
Poison
Pop
Position
Power
Prickle
Probe
Prune
Realize
Recite
Recoil
Refashion
Refine
Remove
Report
Retreat
Reveal
Revolutionize
Revolve
Rip
Rise
Ruin

Rush
Rust
Scan
Scrape
Scratch
Scrawl
Seize
Serve
Shatter
Shepherd
Shimmer
Shine
Shock
Shrivel
Sizzle
Skip
Slash
Slide
Slip
Slurp
Smash
Snag
Snarl
Snowball
Soar
Sparkle
Sport
Stare
Steal
Steer
Storm
Strain
Stretch
Strip
Stroll
Struggle
Stumble
Supercharge
Supersize
Surge
Survey
Swell
Swipe
Swoon
Tail
Tattle
Transfigure
Transform
Travel
Treat
Trim
Uncover
Unearth
Untangle
Unveil
Usher
Veil
Weave
Wind
Withdraw
Wreck
Wrench
Wrest
Wrestle
Wring

Of course there are many more. Jerry Jenkins just provided a list of examples to get you thinking 🙂

-Jan R

Writing your first novel-Things you should know

Things you should know before writing your first Novel.

Is Your Story Believable?-It’s All In The Details

The Title Of Your Book Is What?!!!

Rest If You Must, But Don’t You Quit!

POV-Common Mistakes

Eavesdropping 101

Things to Keep in Mind When You’re Writing That Cover Letter

How Do I Write A Perfect Opening Line?

Strategies for writing the perfect opening line:

How’s That Elevator Speech Coming?

Don’t Give Up!!!

195 Powerful Verbs That’ll Spice Up Your Writing

How To Know Which Verbs Need Replacing

3 Types of Verbs to Beware of in Your Prose

1. State-of-being verbs

2. Verbs that rely on adverbs

3. Verbs with -ing suffixes

The List of 195 Powerful Verbs

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Strategies for writing the perfect opening line:

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How To Know Which Verbs Need Replacing

3 Types of Verbs to Beware of in Your Prose

1. State-of-being verbs

2. Verbs that rely on adverbs

3. Verbs with -ing suffixes

The List of 195 Powerful Verbs

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